The Violin and the Trumpet: An Unlikely Duet::
by LunarBasket
Summary: A violin and trumpet. What an unusual combination. Unlikely, but not impossible. KahokoxKazuki
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** As much as I adore Len/Kahoko, I am completely in love Kazuki. And between him helping Kahoko out during her little "music preview" and the little villa incident, I couldn't help it!

(Note: I have yet to finish either the anime or the manga…As I get further along I'll tie in some of the events…which means updates might be a little slower than I would like)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kiniro no Corda (La Corda D'oro)

* * *

There were very few times that Hihara Kazuki was rendered absolutely speechless in his life. In fact, he could count the number of times on one hand. Two of them, including this one, had involved _her_. He would have to remember to add this moment to the tally later.

The soft vibrato of a violin had brought him to the rooftop, and just as he had suspected, he found Hino Kahoko. It had taken a great deal of effort to slowly inch the door open enough for him to slip out and not be noticed. Kahoko, he had long ago learned, had a certain aversion to being the center of attention. Odd for someone with musical talent, especially one involved in the concours.

She was barefoot again, he noted with a grin. Though the first stage of the concours had come and passed, it appeared the second year, general education student had gotten used to practicing without her shoes. Along with her folded socks, they currently rested next to her violin case.

Kazuki let his eyes slide shut as he let listened quietly to the tune of Ave Maria. It was a song he had heard countless times, and yet it felt like a completely different piece when coming from Kahoko. Of course, had she known he was standing only feet behind her, he had no doubt she would be too nervous to continue. He had seen it when she performed Gavotte at the school gate, the fine trembling of her hands and unsteadiness in her knees. It had been too overwhelming for her to open her eyes and find other students clustered about as she played.

As soon as she had hit that awful screeching note in her moment of panic, he had already been on the move, pulling his trumpet from its case. And when he moved beside her to play, he could see the fear and insecurity in her wide-eyed stare. He pushed her forward, pushed her to continue, allowing his fingers to move in the familiarity of the simple song he had known for years.

And just like that, smiling uncertainly, Kahoko's violin joined his trumpet and brought cries of disbelief and joy to all those watching. A violin and trumpet. What an unusual combination. Not impossible, but unlikely.

His thoughts wandered to the night at the villa. The night he and Kahoko had accidentally fallen into an entangled heap of arms and legs. He remembered with vivid clarity the feel of her breath dampening his cheek, her flushed face. She had been unbelievably soft, the gentle curves of her legs pressed against his and the swell of her breasts just barely brushing against his chest. Used to horsing around with his brother, he didn't know that a woman's body could feel like that. Now he knew. In those few precious seconds above her, only Kahoko mattered. Ryoutarou and Keiichi had disappeared and the room smelled wonderfully like pears and wild flowers. Her shampoo, he decided after a deep breath. And then he was being hauled off her by Ryoutarou and she fled. Away from him.

He would be the first to admit he didn't have very much experience with women. Not like his friend Azuma. That night at the villa was the first time his heart nearly beat out of his chest and his palms had sweat; And it had nothing to do with a performance and everything to do with Kahoko. It was the night he finally began to see Kahoko not as his competition or a friend, but as a young woman. In that one accidental moment, with his body pushed flush against hers, Kazuki developed an awareness for Hino Kahoko that up until then had never existed.

He opened his eyes and watched as she swayed in time with the music. Had her skirt always been that short? He wondered idly, maybe he just never noticed it before. Abruptly, the music stopped. For one panicked second Kazuki thought he had been discovered. Then he heard her sniffle. He blinked, sure he was hearing things. There it was again, followed by a soft hiccup that tugged at his heart. Unable to maintain his silence any longer, he stepped forward.

"Hino-chan?" She jumped, startled, and spun on her heel to face the intruder. She relaxed slightly upon seeing Kazuki, quickly rubbing at her eyes with her coat sleeve.

"Hihara-senpai! What are you doing here? Have you…I mean, were you listening?" Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He smiled, and she was thankful he chose not to address the fact that he had caught her crying.

"I'm sorry, Hino-chan. I heard you practicing, you were great!" If possible, her blush deepened and she quickly turned to busy herself with putting her violin away. Almost immediately she regretted it, having nothing to occupy her hands with. She twisted them anxiously in front of her.

"Thanks. But I'm not nearly good enough." She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and moved to sit on a bench. Kazuki hesitated only a moment before joining her. They sat in silence for a few moments before he opened his mouth to speak. Surprisingly, Kahoko beat him to it.

"Hihara-senpai, do you ever feel…Nevermind, this is stupid. Of course you don't." She laughed nervously, brushing her hair behind her ear. Kazuki was so intent on watching the gesture that he almost forgot to respond.

"Do I ever feel what?" He pressed, hoping she wouldn't shy away from him now. He wasn't disappointed.

"Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Like you shouldn't have been chosen? I mean, there are so many others out there…So many music students that deserve this spot. Not me." She chewed on her lower lip, something she did when nervous that Kazuki found to be strangely endearing. Once again he almost forgot she was waiting on a response.

"Of course. I think we all feel like that sometimes. But just remember this…There will always be someone out there better than you, but you will always be better than someone else." He grinned cheekily and was rewarded with a laugh. At least she wasn't crying, because that made him uncomfortable. Laughter he was used to.

"I never thought of it like that." She mused, taking his words into consideration. It was something his old trumpet teacher had always told him when he doubted himself. They fell into another easy silence before he found himself asking what he had previously been holding back.

"Hino-chan, why were you crying?" He could feel her stiffen from her spot next to him. He was about to tell her to forget he had even asked when she surprised him (and by the looks of it, herself too) by answering.

"I don't belong in the concours. I don't have that ability Tsukimori-kun has for the violin, or the grace of Yunoki-senpai. I don't have the years of experience like Tsuchiura-kun. And I don't have the passion that you have." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly, her eyes searching his for answers. In truth, he was surprised that she felt that way. He had always thought she played wonderfully, even if she wasn't up to par with the rest of the participants.

"I think you're too hard on yourself, Hino-chan. You may not have the same ability, grace, or experience as everyone else, but those all come in time."

"But-"

"No, let me finish." He held up his hand and she quickly closed her mouth and nodded.

"If you didn't have any passion for the violin or music at all, you wouldn't be able to play the way you do. So you get nervous during performances, that's natural. What you need, Kaho-chan, is confidence. Confidence in your ability."

"Hihara-senpai…I…"

"Shhh, don't say anything. Just think about what I said." He pressed a fingertip to her lips to silence her and immediately wished he hadn't. They were just as soft as the rest of her had been, and he had to fight against the urge to lean forward and press his lips to hers. She looked startled by the unexpected contact, but made no move to push him away. Boldly, Kazuki moved his finger until it was brushing against her cheek and he could feel her breath on the back of his hand.

He could smell pears and flowers again, though not as strong as it had been that night at the villa. When again she didn't shy away from his touch, he moved his hand down until it rested on the pulse point in her neck. She let out a shuddering sigh. Her pulse quickened, thumping wildly against his touch. Was he the cause of that?

"Hihara-senpai…"

"Kazuki." He murmured, his eyes darting to her lips again. She caught the movement and before he could blink she was out of his reach, standing at the end of the bench.

"Ah..I'm sorry Hihar-Kazuki-kun. I should go, it's getting late." She fumbled to gather her bag and violin case and was already half way through the door when Kazuki stopped her.

"Kaho-chan…I believe these are yours?" He was holding a pair of shoes in one hand and socks in another, looking highly amused. Kahoko wiggled her toes and looked down. Heat filled her cheeks as she hurriedly snatched them from his outstretched hands. She shoved her feet into the shoes and her socks in her bag before hurrying through the door again, this time without interruption.

It was at that exact moment, watching as she fled down the stairs, that Hihara Kazuki decided he had a crush on Hino Kahoko. And although he knew very little about women, having spent much of his time in the company of guys, he knew he would make her his own.

A violin and a trumpet. Unlikely but not impossible.

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**A/N:** So this was originally going to be a one-shot deal…but as it turns out I'd like it to be a bit more. Please excuse any mistakes!

The comment Kazuki makes about there always being someone better/worse off than you was a comment my music teacher always used to say to me.

R&R please!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I was _finally_ able to find and watch all the episodes, yay! I wish I could say the same for the manga, but that's a different story.

Dream Cager: Thanks for the info about Hihara's brother! The fan sub I was watching used "brothers" so I just went with that. As for Hino not mentioning Fuyuumi and Shimizu, I left them out because when I started writing she had little interaction with them that I could see. Now of course I've gotten far enough to know better )

As for the "always someone better/worse than you" quote, I think it really is a matter of opinion. My violin teacher used to say it and its stuck with me ever since.

Thanks for the reviews! They really keep me motivated!

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Kahoko hurried down the stairs that led to the roof, her violin case clutched tightly to her chest. She knew without a doubt that her cheeks were stained red with her embarrassment. She half expected the door to burst open and Kazuki to follow her as she darted around students in the hallway on her way to the practice rooms. To both her relief and dismay, he didn't.What she had come to regard as her practice room was thankfully empty. Slipping inside, she placed her bag and case down and sighed. 

_'What was that? Why is my heart beating so fast?' _Unconsciously her fingers found their way to her lips. He had almost kissed her, hadn't he? She found herself wondering what it would feel like, kissing Kazuki. Her first kiss.

"Hino Kahoko!" Her name was followed by a _**pop**_ as Lili appeared in front of her. If it were possible, Kahoko felt her blush deepen as she was interrupted from her thoughts.

"Lili! You surprised me. I was just about to start practicing." She busied herself with opening her violin case and pulling out the instrument and bow. She made sure she took her time putting rosin on the bow. Normal. She had to act completely normal. Like nothing happened. Like her heart wasn't about to beat out of her chest at any moment.

"Are you okay? Your face is all red. You're not getting sick are you!?" Lili fluttered nervously around her head. Kahoko suppressed a groan. So much for acting normal.

"I'm fine Lili, I just…I ran here to make sure I got a room. I missed signing up for one today. I really lucked out, didn't I?" She smiled, her arm still pulling the bow back and forth over the rosin.

"Umm…Kahoko…Don't you think that's enough?"

"Enough?" She blinked, glancing down at her hands where Lili was currently pointing. Oh, that. She put the bow and rosin down, watching as the small cloud of dust from her over-zealous rosining settled down.

"Maybe you need a few days off from practicing…"

"No! I mean, I'm fine. I _need_ to practice." Determined, she placed the violin under her chin and positioned the bow on her strings. Lili frowned as she closed her eyes and began to play, knowing he had just been dismissed.

"Just don't overdo it, Hino Kahoko."

* * *

"Yunokiiiii!" There was no mistaking _that _loud mouth. Azuma stopped walking and glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, Kazuki was running towards him, one arm waving wildly in the air. As if he couldn't already hear him coming. 

"Hihara." He smiled. Kazuki, he thought, was probably the only concours participant that he could read like a book. He looked even happier than usual, and he wondered the cause for the grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Yunoki! Were you practicing?" He nodded to the instrument case in Azuma's hand. Observant as ever, Azuma thought dryly as he nodded. Kazuki, surprisingly, said nothing as they walked towards the front gate. The sleek, black Mercedes was already waiting at the curb to take Azuma to his own personal hell. When had he lost all control of his life? The answer, he realized, was when he gave up the piano for the flute.

"You're awfully quiet today, Hihara. Is something wrong?" He glanced at the trumpet player curiously. Kazuki, Azuma noticed with interest, had turned a rather deep shade of pink. Curiouser and Curiouser.

"Nope, there's nothing wrong at all! Absolutely nothing is-"

"Ah, it's Hino." Azuma watched the younger girl as she walked a few paces ahead of them, her head bowed. Kazuki froze, his eyes fixed on the back of Kahoko's head. His stare was so intense, Azuma wondered if the girl could actually feel it.

Suddenly, it all made perfect sense. The answer was so simple, Azuma was amazed he hadn't caught on earlier. So Kazuki had a crush on Kahoko. How very interesting. The realization made his stomach twist in an uncomfortable knot, though he wasn't too sure why.

"I see."

"Huh? You see? See what?" Kazuki finally blinked and turned his attention away from the violinist. Azuma smiled.

"You like her."

"Ehhhhh!?!" His outburst, as Azuma had predicted, had gotten Kahoko's attention. She turned, the smile on her face faltering slightly when her eyes darted to Kazuki.

"Hihara-senpai. Yunoki-senpai. Were you practicing late too?" There was no mistaking the slight flush of her cheeks as her eyes darted to look at everything except Kazuki. It was so painfully obvious to Azuma that once again he wondered why he hadn't seen the subtle but sure hints.

"The second selection is almost upon us. Practicing is imperative, don't you think so?" He raised an eyebrow. She met his eyes briefly before averting her gaze to the ground. What was she hiding? Not for the first time he found himself dwelling on the mystery that was Hino Kahoko.

The rumors were impossible to ignore, surely she had heard them herself? A beginner. No one could just pick up the violin and play like that, it just wasn't possible. And if she did that would make her, what had he told Tsukimori? A genius? Studying her now, he just didn't see her as a genius. She knew too little about music, always asking questions. Odd how most of the time he found her listening to CDS rather than practicing. Almost as if she could play just by hearing the song…

"Kaho-chan, have you picked out a song yet?" Hihara's voice broke into Azuma's train of thoughts. He watched as she shook her head, lips drawn in a frown. The two of them broke into light conversation and banter as they walked out of the school grounds. He bid them both goodbye as his chauffer opened the door to the Mercedes and he slid into the leather seats. Azuma watched Kazuki and Kahoko as the car drove by them.

_'What exactly are you hiding, Kahoko?'_

* * *

Kahoko had thought it would be awkward to see Kazuki again after their mishap on the roof. Mishap? No, she corrected herself. Not a mishap. But a…Hell, she didn't know what to call it. She had been grateful though that he appeared to be the same Kazuki as always. Just as loud and happy as he was before _that_. Actually, he seemed _happier_. Like he had reached some resolution. 

"Kaho-chan, we should play Gavotte again sometime. It was fun!" He grinned, swinging his trumpet case back and forth as they walked. She had insisted that she could get home just fine and that he needn't go out of his way. It appeared, however, that Kazuki had selective hearing. He didn't seem to mind the fact that after he walked her home, he would have to turn around and go in the complete opposite direction.

"Mm, it was fun. The second selection really is getting closer, isn't it?" She sighed as that familiar knot in her stomach seemed to reappear. Guilt, nervousness, and what could only be described as an anxiousness to not disappoint, warred with the focus she needed for the upcoming event. Kazuki frowned, noticing the tension in her hunched shoulders and the way she dragged her feet (still sock-less, he noted) against the ground.

"You'll do great! I'm looking forward to hearing you play again!" Although it was an obvious attempt to cheer her up, it was something he also found to be true. When the announcement that a general education student would be participating, he hadn't known what to think. That was until he had heard her play. She was timid, there was no denying that. But she didn't follow the music note for note, and it carried a certain warmth to it that Tsukimori's performances lacked. That wasn't to say that she was better than Tsukimori, in fact it was just the opposite. She did, however, have the capability to send shivers down one's spine (when she wasn't performing on a stage or in front of people). And that was going to be the biggest problem for her, in his eyes.

She would be, no, he corrected himself, _was_, a good violinist. And she had the potential to be better. If only he could break her from the absurdity of her irrational fear of performances. After all, a musician lived to perform, didn't they?

"Thanks…I guess I'm just a little nervous after the first selection. Now that I know what to expect and everything. I just can't…No, I _won't _disappoint anyone else." They stopped walking in front of a small, white house. Kahoko's place. Kazuki frowned as he watched her make her way up the front steps. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob to go inside, he stopped her.

"Who have you disappointed, Kaho-chan?" She glanced over her shoulder and the unmistakable shine of tears in her eyes made something in Kazuki's chest constrict painfully.

"Myself." She offered a watery smile before quickly pushing the door open and slipping inside. He wasn't sure how long he stood in front of her house, staring at the door, her words echoing inside his head. _'Myself'_.

"You're wrong Kaho-chan…You're anything but a disappointment." With a sigh, he turned and started slowly on the long walk to his house, his thoughts centered around the violinist.

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**A/N:** It took me a little longer than expected to finish, and it's shorter than I wanted. I honestly didn't like this chapter as much as the first, but this was really just a filler/transition so I guess it's okay. There are probably grammatical/spelling errors because I haven't had a chance to go back and reread it yet, but it's currently 12am and I wanted to get this done and up. 

On a side note, in the first chapter I presented the names like 'Kahoko Hino'. In this one however, I used 'Hino Kahoko'. I think I prefer the second method now that I think about it…I'll go back and make changes later on when I'm more awake!

Note: "Curiouser and Curiouser" is a quote from Alice in Wonderland, I just borrowed it.

Reviews/Crits are greatly appreciated! )


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